volprof
Destroyer of Nihilists
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Ukraine's GDP ($175 billion) is not much bigger than Alabama's ($170 billion). If we included hookers and drugs, Alabama would probably overtake them in that. So it couldn't be trade.
America is wanting to preserve and, in fact, strengthen a flailing EU for both trade and political interests. Ukraine moving into the Eurozone would have been a step further towards isolating Russia and strengthening American influence (whether this thinking is accurate or not). Meanwhile, Russia has been fomenting a right-wing nationalism throughout Europe. There's a reason why so many reactionaries and fascists throughout Europe and America find Putin so appealing and admirable. The thinking here is that such movements will weaken and subvert a Euro-alliance, thereby allowing Russia to be the undisputed top dog in Europe. Between a strong EU and a Europe that is internally split, I'll take a strong EU, ridiculous New World Order fears aside. If the Russian nationalistic model (which appears to me to be a very ethnocentric one; not necessarily racial) proves triumphant, it's back to war city in Europe again. A major war (not necessarily a world war) every decade or two. I know many people, particularly conservatives, dislike the EU and even the mere idea of something like the EU, but anyone has to admit that since its rise, Europe has been fairly calm.
Edit: Velo provided the following link a couple weeks ago. I think this is the best article on the crisis too date, but that's just my opinion.
Fascism Returns to Ukraine | New Republic
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